Saint Joseph Catholic Church

Archbishop Shelton Fabre, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace, weighed in on various aspects of the bill in a recent letter to the chairman and ranking member of the House Committee on Agriculture.

The leaders of Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Rural Life, and National Council of the United States Society of St. Vincent de Paul joined the two prelates in signing the letter.

Reaffirming its “firm stand against every form of discrimination and harassment,” the episcopal conference called upon the national government and state governments to “take proactive measures to sensitize the public about the diverse cultures, languages, and traditions of Northeast India, and to ensure the safety and dignity of all citizens.”

The Indian newspaper Mathrubhumi reported on the incident.

The Pontiff will visit Monaco on March 28; make a ten-day journey to four African nations (Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea) from April 13-23; and spend nearly a week in Spain (June 6-12).

The February 25 announcement of the apostolic journeys outside Italy follows last week’s announcement of six papal trips within Italy this spring and summer.

Bishop Erik Varden, OCSO, of Trondheim, Norway, reflected on “The fall of thousands” and “Glory” in his February 25 Lenten retreat conferences to the Pope and the Roman Curia.

The appointments, The Pillar noted, may presage an “end to a tumultuous period in the Pope’s diocese, which began in 2024 with Pope Francis dismissing six auxiliary bishops in just more than a year and abolishing one of the diocese’s five pastoral sectors.” Pope Leo restored the sector in November.

“Perhaps the right distinction to make is not so much between believers and non-believers, but between seekers and non-seekers of God,” Pope Leo wrote. “We are all longing for Love, we are all seekers of God. And therein lies the dignity and beauty of our lives.”

The exchange was published in Piazza San Pietro, a magazine published under the Vatican basilica’s auspices. Pope Leo has continued his predecessor’s custom of answering one letter in each issue.